Since he became Adrian’s mayor in November, Jim Berryman has reinstituted the practice of having someone offer a prayer at the start of each Adrian City Commission meeting.

Previously, the commission observed a moment of silence before beginning its meetings. Berryman said that when he was previously mayor of Adrian, from 1985 to 1990, the commission usually began its meetings with a prayer, though sometimes no one was available to offer it.

He does not know when that practice ended and the commission began having a moment of silence instead, Berryman said.

Berryman said he reinstituted the practice of having a prayer because he believes religious faith is an important part of the Adrian and Lenawee County community.

“Our faith-based community is very strong in Lenawee County,” Berryman said.

That community “ought to be included,” he said.

He heard from “a lot” of people who asked if the opening prayer could be returned, including another city commission member, Berryman said.

Berryman said he asks that the prayers be “general” and not geared, for instance, toward conversion.

So far, ministers from the Bethany Assembly of God and First United Methodist Church and a retired Lutheran minister have offered the prayers.

Berryman said he hopes people will call him asking for the opportunity to offer the prayer and that he intends to have all faiths represented. That would include representatives of the Catholic churches in Adrian and representatives of the Jewish and Muslim faiths, Berryman said.

“Any and all ministers of all religions are welcome to call and ask for a particular Monday,” Berryman said.

If he does not hear from representatives of a variety of faiths who wish to participate, he will seek them out, Berryman said.

In the event a non-believer or atheist asks that a meeting be allowed to start without any prayer, he would honor that request also, Berryman said. He won’t allow that at every meeting, he said.

Berryman said he is aware of the case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court in which two women have challenged officials of the town of Greece, N.Y., over their practice of opening town board meetings with a prayer.

Adrian would abide by any Supreme Court ruling, Berryman said.

“Until the Supreme Court says we can’t do that, I’m going to go ahead with it,” he said.